Draft-excluding means for doors.



M. AUKERMAN.

DRAFT EXCLUDING MEANS FOR DOORS.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1911.

Patented NOV. 28, 1911. 1

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"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE M. AGKER-MAN, OF NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

DRAFT-EXCLUDING MEANS FOR DOORS.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE M. Aoirnn- MAN, citizen of the United States of America, residing at New Westminster, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented a new and useful Draft-Excluding Means for Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for preventing a draft under the lower edge. of a door and the device is designed to enable the draft excluding means to be raised from and lowered to the floor level by the operation of turning the door handle in either direction to withdraw the latch. Means is also provided whereby, when the door is closed, the draft excluding means is always free to fall, but when the door is open it will be sustained clear of the floor level.

The invention is particularly described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 represents the door in front elevation and part section showing the appli cation of the device, Fig. 2 is a cross section of the bottom rail, and Fig. 3, a perspective View of one of the bell cranks by which the draft excluding means is lifted.

In these drawings 2 represents the bottom rail, 3 the hinge stile and l the lock stile of the door, 5 being the floor level.

Slidably fitting on the thickness of the bottom rail 2 and extending throughout the full width of the door is a channel shaped member having sides 6 and a connecting web 7, the sides 6 projecting below the web to receive between them and an angle strip 8 a closing strip 9 of rubber or the like on each side of the door, which strip 9 is designed to form a flexible junction with the floor line 5.

Secured to the connecting web 7 of the channel member at approximately equal distances from the ends and from one another are tubular guides 10 which slidably fit into holes provided in the bottom rail of the door and have springs 11 acting to press the channel member downward and the strips 9 into contact with the floor, and at the same time the tubular spring casings 10 retain the channel section against endwise movement on the bottom rail 2 of the door. This channel strip 6, 7 is raised from con- F tact with the floor line by fine steel wires 25 from the ends of levers 26 oppositely Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 625,631.

extending on each side from the latch handle socket on the stem 27 and these wires 25 are at the other end connected one to each arm 13 of the double bell crank levers 12, 13 which are pivotally mounted at 14 in a casing plate 15, recessed into the under side of the door within the channel plate 6, 7

The short arms 12 of the bell crank lever are connected by fine steel wires 20, recessed in grooves in the underside of the door, to the corresponding arms ofa similar bell crank lever 12, 13 recessed into the underside of the door adjacent to the hinge stile so that both the levers 13 are lifted by one of the wires 25 whichever way the latch handle 27 may be turned.

The arms 13 of both bell crank levers are connected by a wire, or otherwise, which wire projects through the web 7 and the respective plates 8 and is headed at 30 to secure it to the channel member so that both sides of the channel member with their rubber draft excluding edges are simultaneously lifted from the floor level by the turning of the latch handle.

In the lock stile ladjacent to the bottom of the door is a beveled latch bolt- 38 which, when the door is closed, will be pushed in against the resistance of a spring 34 by contact of the latch with the striking plate on the jamb of the door, and to this slidable bolt 33 is secured a hook member 35 which is designed to engage a cross bar 37 between the two levers 18 of the adjacent bell crank. When the door is closed, the hook 35 is clear of the cross bar so that it does not interfere with its free movement up or down but when the door is open the latch 33 is free to project outward under the influence of its spring 3 1 and the hook 85 will engage and hold up the bell crank levers 13. The draft excluding edges 9 are thus always retained clear of the floor when the door is open but as soon as the door is closed the latch 33 is pressed in and the hook member 35 is disengaged from the cross bar 37 of the levers 13 and permits them to be pressed down under the influence of the springs 11. An effective means is thus provided for excluding draft under a door and one in which the draft excluding means is spring pressed into contact with the floor and is not, as in many devices of this character, dependent on the weight of the draft excluding member. Further the draft excluding edge is not exposed to wear as it must be lifted clear of the floor before the door is moved, working as it does in conjunction with the latch release.

Having now particularly described my invention and. the manner of its application, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Pat cut, is:

1. As a draft excluding means for a door, the combination with a member vertically slidable on the lower edge of the door, of means for guiding said member in its vertical movement, of springs pressing said member into contact with the floor, of levers projecting on each side from and turnable with the latch handle stem, means for connecting these levers to the draft excluding member on the bottom edge of the door in a manner that it will be lifted from the floor by turning the latch handle in either direction, a bevel ended bolt projecting from the edge of the lock stile and movable toward the bottom rail inward against a spring and means on the inner end of said bolt to engage the lifting mechanism of the draft excluding member and hold that member clear of the floor when the bolt is free from contact with the door jamb.

2. As a draft excluding means for a door, the combination with two side members connected together to slidably fit on the door thickness along the bottom rail, spring containing tubes secured to the connecting web of said members said tubes slidably fitting in apertures provided in the bottom rail, springs within such tubes, double L levers rockably mounted in the bottom rail adjacent to the lock stile and the hinge stile of the door, means for connecting the shorter arms of these L levers together that they may be moved simultaneously, means for connecting the longer of one L lever arm to the ends of levers projecting on each side of the latch handle stem, means for connecting the same arm of each lever to the draft excluding member on the bottom rail of the door, and a bevel. ended bolt projecting from the lock stile adjacent to the bottom rail that when the door is closed is free from engage ment with the lifting mechanism of the draft excluding member and when the door is open will sustain such mechanism and prevent the draft excluding member from falling to the floor level.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE M. ACKERMAN. \Vitnesses:

ROWLAND BRITTAIN, WM. S. SOUTAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

